The present invention relates to flow reducer devices for reducing the flow of a fluid under pressure. The invention is particularly useful for drip irrigation emitters and is therefore described below with respect to this application.
Drip irrigation systems are gaining widespread use for irrigating various types of crops because of their ability to feed the irrigating water directly to the root region of the crops. Many designs have been developed to regulate the output of such emitters in order to decrease variations in the output flow with variations in the inlet pressure, thereby enabling the drip irrigation emitters to be used in long spans and/or over uneven terrain. Many designs have also been developed to reduce the sensitivity of the emitters to clogging by particles within the irrigating water, thereby enabling the emitters to be used with lower grade irrigation water.